Almost 1,500 deaths from COVID-19 coronavirus were recorded in the US between Thursday and Friday, according to the online tracker managed by Johns Hopkins University.
The figure marks the highest day-on-day death toll on record in the ongoing pandemic.
According to Johns Hopkins, the total number of COVID-19 fatalities in the US now stands at 7,406 and is the third-largest in the world after Italy and Spain.
New York state is “getting closer” to reaching the worst of the coronavirus crisis as 630 New Yorkers died in the past day and positive cases soared past 113,000.
Cuomo said “We’ve been talking about hitting the apex, where the number of new infections is at its high point,” he said. “We’re not yet at the apex (but) we’re getting closer.”
More than 10,000 people tested positive in the past 24 hours, a new record high. About 60% of those new infections were in New York City.
The increase in cases is strongest on Long Island, which now accounts for about a quarter of the new infections, he said.
The peak of hospitalizations and death is now targeted to hit the city in about a week’s time.
Even though the number of deaths and infections keeps rising, the rate of increase is slowing, a potentially good sign that the pandemic’s curve is starting to flatten.
But Cuomo did share some good news: China has agreed to send 1,000 ventilators, a shipment that will arrive at John F. Kennedy Airport on Saturday. Oregon has also shipped 140 of the life-saving devices.
The governor thanked those coming forward to help, and vowed to return the favor.
“They see the fire spreading. Stop the fire spreading before it gets to my home,” he said.
“We will return in double-fold,” Cuomo said. “That’s who we are and that’s what we believe. (We’re ) kind, generous, also smart.”
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